English
grass tops
From grass + tops, by analogy with grassroots.
Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow’
Proto-Germanic *grasą
Proto-West Germanic *gras
Old English græs
Middle English gras ‘a grass’
English grass
Today it means
adj Of, related to, or involving local influential figures.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / grass tops